Stone Sea Fallout

Stone Sea Fallout is a random encounter in Tales from the Tiers.

Transcript
One moves forward, a gargantuan Beastwoman whose dugs hang scarred and dust-dressed. She growls low, hackles rising, and her pack moves as one, closing on you. The ground trembles around you, cracks forming at your feet, forcing you back. The hills rumble, sloughing away into the ruptured landscape. Figures move towards you through the dust, their silhouettes defined against a soft violet glow. They resolve into robed men and women armed with staves and flanked by iron-shod warriors bearing the scarred heraldry of the Disfavored. The Beastmen seem to melt from the soil and stone, rising from crouches or dropping from outcroppings, each covered head to claw in matted, slate gray fur and reeking of blood and decay. They circle you, padding on bare knuckle and foot, eyes flashing jaundiced yellow, lips twisted back from filthy fangs. Attack them. Speak with them. "You took Cairn from us!" one of the Earthshakers hisses, staff flaring with russet light. "You took him from us and gave him to the rutting Beasts!" The earth rumbles. "We shall sacrifice your blood and bones to the earth, and then we will skin your filthy friends and wear their hides!" "You took Cairn from us, motherless cur!" one of the Earthshakers hisses, staff flaring with russet light. "Worse, you have seduced our guild into insurrection! But like Terratus we endure. And like Terratus, we shall drink your blood and grind your bones into dust!" "You took Cairn from us and slaughtered our leaders!" one of the Earthshakers hisses, staff flaring with russet light. "Yet we carry their will forward. Our restoration begins with your destruction, Fatebinder!" Attack them. Speak with them. Attack them. Speak with them. Attack them. Speak with them. You ready your arms and prepare for combat. Your hands near your weapons, you consider your words carefully. You ready your arms and prepare for combat. Defuse the situation. Threaten them. [10000 rings] Bribe them. Your hands near your weapons, you consider your words carefully. Defuse the situation. Threaten them. [10000 rings] Bribe them. Adopting your calmest tone and most amiable body language, you speak to the Beastwoman, trying to assuage her. Her eyes never leave yours, and when the attack comes, it is remarkably coordinated given that it's entirely without words. You rear back, squaring your shoulders, throwing your hands out to either side, making yourself as large as possible, and shout at the Beastwoman. They're here because you've felled the greatest of them, you assume. And if you can fell her, then what hope do they have of even putting a claw to you? The Beasts take a step back at your barking, and the Beastwoman alpha glances to her compatriots. She backs away slowly, then, as one, the pack lopes off of the road and into the wilds from which they came. You're left to continue your journey. The Beastwoman's head shifts to the side, her pupils constricting and nostrils flaring. She chuffs quietly, then pounces at you without a word. You calmly raise your hands and adopt your most rational tone. You attempt to show them reason: Cairn's doom was sealed by the Overlord's Edict, not your actions, and Radix's stronghold couldn't have held out against the Chorus and Stonestalker forces arrayed against it much longer even without your intervention... You did help their brothers and sisters, the Earthshaker admits. And you seem to respect Cairn, even if you ended him. He finally nods. Today you may go your separate ways, but when you meet again, it will be as enemies. They leave you to continue your journey. Your words are not wholly without merit, the Earthshaker admits, but your actions have spoken with greater force than speech can ever muster - they cannot go unpunished. The earth trembles as he begins to trace sigils in the air, and the Disfavored advance upon you. "Silence!" the Earthshaker roars and the ground answers, pebbles tumbling from nearby boulders. He begins drawing sigils of Cairn upon the air, and the Disfavored advance upon you. "Your time draws nigh, Fatebinder!" You look down your nose at the mages and their guards. How many lives have ended at your hands, you ask? How much power has flowed through your form? Do they truly think that a couple of suits of iron and a few sigils will protect them when so many others have failed? The Earthshaker sputters with rage, but an iron gauntlet clasps his shoulder. "Listen to the Fatebinder," the Disfavored tells the mage. "Only a fool chooses a battle so unfavorable." The Earthshaker looks to his companions, and each nods in agreement with the Disfavored. "So be it, Fatebinder," the Earthshaker spits. "We part ways today, but we shall face one another as enemies one day." The group backs away, leaving you to continue your journey. The Earthshaker sputters in rage, and his fellow mage takes a step back from you. "Everyone dies eventually," one of the Disfavored says, jagged iron blade leveled at you. "Everyone save the Overlord. Maybe today is our day. But maybe it's yours." Emboldened by their ally's words, the Earthshakers begin to draw sigils on the air. The earth trembles... The Earthshaker blinks at your offer. "Where do you think rings come from?" he growls. "The land offers up its bounty at our caress, fool! You think we value rings over the Archon of Stone? Over the lives of our brethren?" He slams his staff into the ground and it rumbles as if in anger. "Kill the Fatebinder!" he shouts. Flee the area. You escape unscathed and continue your journey. Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue...